Transforming a Villainess into a Heroine
I’m working on edits for my second book in my Trouble with Men Series – The Trouble with Scarecrows. And one of the biggest challenges I’ve had with this book is my female protagonist, Brenda Fisher. If you’ve read Book 1, The Trouble with Snowmen, then you know she is the antagonist in that story. So I’ve been working with this character since early 2012.
I’ve created some pretty mean, selfish, female characters over the years, but Brenda started out as one of the most self-centered personalities I’ve ever imagined. Which made her tons of fun to write! When I started writing Book 2, I thought I had to stick to her true nasty nature in the beginning and then give her a fabulous massive character arc – like in the story, A Christmas Carol, she would be my Scrooge!
But as Book 2 progressed (I finished the rough draft February 2013) and critique partners started reading and commenting, I found I had a major problem. Brenda made people angry – they hated her. Lol. Not good for the heroine. Even if she does redeem herself by the end of the book, it was too late.
Since then, Brenda has gone through a lot of changes. She still has an edge, but I feel she also has heart. And although she has been through the ringer (My editor read Book 2 first and said I’d better make some changes in Book 1 if she was going to become a heroine – so I even had to make changes for her there.) it molded her into a dynamic woman with many layers. And after everything, I can easily say that Brenda Fisher (Fishlips) is my favorite character I have ever created.
Love and Laughter,
Dorlana
The Trouble with Snowmen (Book 1 Trouble with Men) Available now in eBook – Print coming soon.
The Trouble with Scarecrows (Book 2 Trouble with Men) April 2016
Dorlana Vann - Author 